Metioche luteolus ( Butler, 1876 ) Hugel, 2012

Hugel, S., 2012, Trigonidiinae crickets from Rodrigues island: from widespread pantropical species to critically endangered endemic species, Zootaxa 3191, pp. 41-55 : 43-46

Metioche luteolus ( Butler, 1876) n. comb.

( Figs. 1–4, 13, 16, 19, 22–24, 31–32; Tab. 1)

Nemobius luteolus Butler 1876: 409 ; Butler, 1879: 547.

This species belongs indubitably to Trigonidiinae and not to Nemobiinae.

The following characters correspond to the definition of Metioche (but see the discussion): no auditory tympana; no pubescence on forewings; dorsum of head not particularly flat; male forewings without any stridulatory device, forewings similar in males and females; forewing profile flat.

Holotype. Female (examined). [Indian Ocean, Mascarene archipelago, Rodrigues] Holotype. Rodriguez. 7613. Nemobius , luteolus, Butler. Nemobius luteolus Butler , HOLOTYPE, det. John Huxley, 1972. BMNH.

Male. Mascarene archipelago, Rodrigues, Grande Montagne Nature Reserve , 344–363 m alt., 19°42'35–39" S 63°27'47 –51"E, ♂ neoallotype, 26.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 075, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg., MNHN ( MNHN- ENSIF2915 ) .

Males (non type material). Rodrigues, Grande Montagne Nature Reserve, 344-363 m alt., 19°42'35-39" S 63°27'47 -51"E, 1♂, 13.III.2004, N. Cliquennois leg., S.H. coll., 6♂, 13.IV.2005, Rod 2005 001, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 004, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 019a[in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 019b[in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 019c[in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 019d[in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., 7♂, 18.IV.2005, Rod 2005 002, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 003, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 005, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 006, S. Hugel leg., MNHN ( MNHN-ENSIF 2914), Rod 2005 018a[in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 018b[in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 018c[in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., 4♂, 13.II.2008, BIOTAS 2008 032, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2008 041, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2008 019, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2008 019a [in EtOH], vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♂, 16.II.2008, BIOTAS 2008 053, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♂, 23.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 032, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 2♂, 24.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 034, jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2009 035, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 4♂, 26.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 070, jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2009 072, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2009 073, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2009 074, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♂, 23.IV.2011, 2011MauRod 004, jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg., and coll.

Mascarene archipelago, Rodrigues, Anse Mourouk reserve , 45 m alt., 19°43’36"S 63°27’40"E, 1♂, 12.IV.2005, Rod 2005 020 [in EtOH], S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♂, 12.II.2008, BIOTAS 2008 040, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg., and coll .

Mascarene archipelago, Rodrigues, Mont Limon , 390 m alt., 19°42'40"S 63°26’42"E, 1♂, 16.II.2008, BIO- TAS 2008 058, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♂, 23.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 045, jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg., and coll .

Females (non type material). Rodrigues, Grande Montagne Nature Reserve, 344-363 m alt., 19°42'35-39" S 63°27'47 -51"E, 2♀, 13.III.2004, N. Cliquennois leg., S.H. coll. N. Cliquennois leg., S.H. coll. 5♀, 13.IV.2005, Rod 2005 008, S. Hugel leg., MSIRI, Rod 2005 009, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 010, S. Hugel leg., CIRAD, Rod 2005 013, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 014, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 6♀, 18.IV.2005, Rod 2005 007, S. Hugel leg., MNHN ( MNHN-ENSIF 2913), Rod 2005 011, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 012, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 015, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 016, S. Hugel leg. & coll., Rod 2005 017, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 4♀, 13.II.2008, BIOTAS 2008 033a, jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2008 034 [in EtOH], jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2008 032, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., BIOTAS 2008 019b [in EtOH], vert vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♀, 16.II.2008, BIOTAS 2008 054, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♀, 23.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 033, jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg. & coll., 1♀, 26.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 046, jaune vivant, S. Hugel leg., and coll.

Mascarene archipelago, Rodrigues, Mont Limon , 390 m alt., 19°42'40"S 63°26’42"E, 1♀, 23.IV.2009, BIO- TAS 2009 043, S. Hugel leg., and coll .

Mascarene archipelago, Rodrigues, Plaine Corail, Canon Tyiel , 35 m alt., 19°45’24"S 63°22’13"E, 1♀, 23.IV.2009, BIOTAS 2009 071, vert vivant, S. Hugel leg., and coll .

Diagnosis. Metioche luteolus n. comb. is characterized by the following: lack of both inner and outer tympana on the fore tibia; small eyes reaching the dorsum of the head (side view, Fig. 3); dorsum of the head slightly flattened; scapus about as wide as the rostrum (dorsal view, Fig. 4); forewings with parallel longitudinal veins ( Fig. 16), with few vein fusion and few or no transverse veinlets; hindwings present, exceeding the body length but not reaching the hind kneed; male SGP broadly rounded ( Fig.19); male genitalia with weakly asymmetric pseudepiphallic lophi ( Fig. 22), directed downwards ( Fig. 23); ovipositor short, moderately up curved ( Fig. 31); lack of any dark markings on the body legs and wings.

Description. Head and antennae: dorsum of head slightly flattened (side view Fig. 3); eyes of medium size ( Fig. 1, 3); rostrum about as wide as scapus; maxillary palpi 4 th article weakly shorter than the 3 rd article, apex of 5 th article moderately enlarged ( Fig. 2). Thorax. Pronotum wider than long ( Fig. 4) with distinct mesosulcus. Legs. Tympana lacking on both sides of fore tibia. Fore femora wide. Hind femora wide: about 3.2 times longer than wide ( Fig. 13). Hind spurs arrangement as in most Trigonidiinae: fore tibia with 1 ventral apical spur; mid tibia with two ventral apical spurs; hind tibia with 3 subapical spurs on sides, 2 inner and 2 outer apical spurs. Hind tibia subapical spurs of medium length ( Fig. 13). Wings. Similar on both genders. Fore wings dorsal field with 5–6 parallel veins and few weakly distinct transverse veins ( Fig. 16). Hind wings slightly exceeding fore wings apex. Hind knees exceeding hind wings. Male. Terminalia . SGP with rounded apex ( Fig. 19). Cerci S-shaped, apex of both cerci often in contact in living specimens. Genitalia. Epiphallic sclerite broadly symmetrical, with long lophi extending ventrally, lophi weakly asymmetric, with spatulate apex bearing 2 small spines ( Fig. 22). Endophallic sclerite and apodeme distinct ( Fig. 22); endophallic sclerite Y-shaped and endophallic apodeme forming a median crest ( Fig. 23). Female. Terminalia . Ovipositor short, moderately up curved ( Fig. 31). Subgenital plate with a median apical incision ( Fig 32). Color: in preserved specimens yellowish, without any distinct colored pattern.

Living specimens are displaying two distinct color forms; yellow/orange (body and appendices) with forewing dorsal field concolor, or green (body and legs) with reddish veins and cells in the median apical part of the forewing dorsal field. These colors are faded in most of the preserved specimens. No morphological and anatomical differences have been detected in these two color morphs found in sympatry. These are therefore considered as a single species in the present article (see discussion section).

Biology. Metioche luteolus n. comb. occurs in the humid-most restored areas of Rodrigues at high densities (up to 0.9 adult specimens /m ² in Grande Montagne Nature Reserve). This species occurs also at significantly lower densities in wooded areas invaded by exotic plant, and in very dry restored areas (Plaine Corail: Canyon Tyiel). I never observed this species on herbaceous vegetation and/or near the ground. This species is preferably observed in the upper (well exposed) part of native trees/bushes, mostly Pittosporum balfourii , Olea lancea , Cassine orientalis and Foetidia rodriguesiana ( Fig. 37–38). As the other endemic Trigonidiinae of Rodrigues, this species is mostly active by day hours.